A book review is a critical evaluation of a book. Writing one, you need to provide a summary of the content, dwell on the general quality of the story, share personal ideas that arise while reading, regard the author, and give recommendations to potential readers. However, don’t mistake a review for a book report. The latter mainly implies recounting the plot, while a full-fledged book review delves deeper into depicted themes, characters, and even emotions.
To come up with an interesting book review, you don’t need to simply summarize the plot and describe the things you like and dislike. In fact, this task involves good critical thinking skills, the ability to present ideas in a well-structured manner, as well as the potential to assess and interpret various plot twists. It may sound complicated at first. However, a bit of regular practice can do wonders for your text. With the following tips on how to write a book review, you are sure to deliver high-quality materials that evoke interest and praise.
Devote Time to Preparation
Before you actually start to arrange your thoughts into a compelling book review, you have to take some preparational steps. First of all, you should choose a book that really interests you. Not all students have this freedom and often have to put up with the lecturer’s assignment. Still, if you are lucky to select, don’t pass up your chance. Besides your interest, you may want to pick a book that is relevant and touches upon the topics actively discussed today. Thus, your analysis will fascinate more readers.
Another important factor when asking how to write a book review is the genre. If you are well aware of particular genres and can expertly write about such books, your review will sound more credible. The length of a novel plays a crucial role too, especially if you are pressed for time. Favor a smaller novel over a bulky tome if the timeframe for preparing a review is short.
Read a Book Attentively
The quality of your review greatly hinges upon your attentiveness and insightfulness during reading. You don’t need to simply flick through pages, but comprehend what an author is narrating, highlight the main points, and later use them for a concise book analysis. It is paramount to take notes while reading. Make sure to write down the following elements:
- Plot points – important events that shape and direct the story
- Characters – list the main characters, their unique features, relationships, and development throughout the book
- Themes – define the key themes and writer’s messages behind them
- Quotes – highlight paragraphs, dialogues, etc., that captivate you and can make your book review more engaging
After reading a book and collecting all the important information, you have to structure your thoughts. There are several approaches you can try:
- Chronological order – how events occur and evolve in a story
- Categories – for different elements like good/bad characters, main/secondary themes, etc.
- Summaries – concise plot summary for each chapter/book section
- Personal ideas – your emotions regarding some events or characters that can jazz up a book review
Get Down to Writing
Once you have all the needed information structured comprehensively, you can proceed with writing. A good book review has several distinct parts:
| Section | What to write about |
| Introduction | Hook sentence + brief overview. |
| Body | In-depth analysis of content, details about characters, plot, writing style, and more. |
| Conclusion | Personal impression + recommendation |
Introduction
Similar to a critical or argumentative essay, you need to draw in your potential readers straight away. Doing that is possible with a catchy hook sentence, which can contain an intriguing quote from a book, a debatable question, or even a short anecdote pertinent to the content of a novel. Besides, make sure to indicate the book title, author, genre, and publication date.
The next paragraph of an introduction should include a brief summary of what is depicted in the text. Be accurate to avoid spoilers. Instead, focus on the main plot changes, the setting, and the characters. Just make sure you provide readers with a quick peek into the book without revealing the core intriguing twists.
Body
Body paragraphs are the biggest part of a book review. It is better to start by evaluating the themes touched upon by the author and the plot in general. Answer the following questions and it will be easier for you to structure your thoughts logically and coherently.
- What are the main themes?
- How are they manifested in the plot?
- How are they developed in the story?
- Are they relevant nowadays?
Next, you need to focus on character, their unique stories, and how they change over time.
- Are characters believable?
- How much do they change from the first to the last page of the book?
- What are their strengths and weaknesses, motives, desires, etc.?
- Do their relationships seem natural?
- How do their connections affect the story?
You probably know that many writers have distinctive writing styles that are easily recognizable among their colleagues. It refers to the choice of words, how they build sentences, and even what emotions try to evoke in the audience. So, it is also important to analyze these factors in your book review.
- Is the writing engaging and understandable?
- Does an author use some unique words?
- How often are they repeated?
- Is it possible to trace offbeat stylistic choices, narrative perspectives, or structures?
- How does the writing style impact the mood of the book?
The last thing to mention in the body section is the strong and weak points of the novel. It isn’t a detailed subjective enumeration of your likes and dislikes. Those will be featured in the conclusion. At this point, you need to write a couple of sentences about the elements you enjoyed most of all and any aspects that disappointed you.
Conclusion
The conclusion is a short summary of what has been written earlier generously peppered with your personal impressions and recommendations. You need to reflect on how the book made you feel and whether it has caused a lasting impression.
- Has it satisfied your expectations?
- How do you feel after finishing it?
- Has it spiked any ruminations about the past, present, or future?
- Would you like to read it again?
Your book review should end with a clear recommendation.
- What audience is it best suited for (age, interests)?
- Would you recommend it to others?
- Are there any similar books that will please readers who like this one?
Improve Your Book Review
Students often think that it’s enough to write an introduction, body, and conclusion to get a good book review. In fact, that’s just a draft that should be further enhanced with vivid quotes, specific examples, and even some background details. Let’s start with quotes.
Find excerpts that relate to the book’s themes, accentuate the major points in the narrative, or have something to do with the writer’s style. They should clearly back up the ideas you elaborate on in your work. However, don’t embed extremely long or confusing sayings. No need to overwhelm your readers.
Some learners face problems with integrating phrases naturally. To prevent those, you can first give the context, next use a citation, and follow up with your analysis. A review with quotations sounds more interesting but only when such statements are used in moderation. Don’t get carried away with quotes. They shouldn’t dominate your critique. The same applies when you write an essay.
Another effective tip on how to write a book review is to enrich your analysis by sharing background facts about the author and providing cultural context. For instance, you can:
- Mention a particular event in the writer’s life and denote that it was used as a basis for some plot turns.
- Outline how the author’s previous works, life experiences, and romantic relationships shape this specific novel.
- Consider the time period when the book was written and how it affected the themes/characters.
- Reflect on cultural norms, beliefs, traditions, and values that influence the story.
